Railroad tie



April 29, 1924.

F. R. ZINKE RAILROAD TIE Filed Oct 26. 1923 L ll Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKR. ZI'NKE, or .VAUKESHA, WISGONSlN;

RA -ILBOAD Application filedDctobrfiG, .1923. Seri l No. 6 70,'866.'

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, FRANK R. ZINKE, a

citizen of the United States, and residentof Waukesha, in the county of IVaukesha and" State of Wisconsin, have-.invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad,

Ties; and I dohereby declare th atthe fol lowing is a full, clear, andexact description thereof. This invention relates to Iitlll'OtldwtlQS.

Objects of this invention are to provide a rallroad t1e which 1s formed of cement,

bak d clay or similar permanent material, which is internally reinforced so as tosupplement the inherent strength of the material with the additional strength offt'li'e binding reinforcing portions.

Further objects areto provide a railroad tie which is of approximately standard shape, except that the edges and ends are preferably rounded to facilitatehandling and to prevent chipping, which is provided with a plurality of spike receiving members into which the spikes may be driven in the usual manner without danger of splitting or cracking the tie, which is soconstructedthat the spike receiving portion, whenworn,

may be readily. removed and replaced, .in which parallel side andend bracing bands are provided, and in. which transverserreinforcing members join the side. portions of theband, and reinforce the'railroad t1e..ad-' jacent the spike receiving members.

Embodiments of theinvention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 1s a plan view ofthet eshowing the position of the rails.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view. on

the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the-line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4; is a fragmentary view ,oorre.

sponding to a portionof FigureZshowing;

as:clearlyshownin the sectional view Figure 3, and thusmateriallyadds to thestrength anchrigidity ofthe tie. At spaced points, preferably, adj acent .the rail, receiving portion, a pair oftransverse bars 3 join the.

side, wallsofthe ;band 2, asQshown in Fig ures 2 and 3. i I

v The body portion is provided with 3, andtheseholes are substantially of rectangular cross section and taper inwardly toward their center on the :opposedsidesof adj acent holes, as clearly shown in.Figure 2. v "Within these holes, blocks 4 of wood are inserted during casting or moulding operatlon and are-contoured to finsuclnholes, as maybec'learly seen fromFF1gure 3., These wooden blocks are thussecurely retained within the tie and providenieans for. receiving the spikes strengthen the structure, a rtlitl'lSYQISQ. rod,6 is provided between each of the pairsfof bars 3 and join thesaid ,members. Ifdcsired,aflcentral rod 7, see Figure ,1,,may, be

provided to join the central'portionof side portion of the band 2. I

Inusing thedevice, the rails ,8 are placed thereomas shown in Figure 1 and the spikes 5 are driveninto the woodenwblocks Ages clearly. shown in Figureg2. jIt is"intendedz that these woodenblocks shalhbemade of such cross sectional areathatthey will accommodate. a wide or narrowrail. ,Itisto be noted that when thespikes are driven into the wooden blocks that they itenld ,to expand theblocks and force snchblocks more tightly into engagement with th si des oflthe holes or openings through .thegtie.

In the modified form shown in Figured, a slightly difi'erent;constructionpf wooden block is employed. This construction is,p,ar ticularly applicable for baked clay ties ;or for repairing worn .ties. In thislform of the invention,,the body portion 1, the, band 2, the transverse 3 and thestransverse rods.

6 are, identicallythe same asthose previonsly described. Howeven the wooden block9 is formed of a member having a gradually tapered upper portion and having initially a straight bottom portion provided with a slot at its lower end. This lower member is slipped into the hole through the body por-,

tion and a wooden wedge 10 is driven upwardly into the bottom part so as to expand this lower portion of the wooden block and cause it to wedge or bind within the holes therethrough adjacent the transverse, bars.

In I order to further tapered lower portion of the hole through the body of the tie, as clearly shown in Figure 4:. V

It will be appreciated that when the tie is formed of a baked clay or similar memher that the wooden block must be inserted after the baking operation. It is preferable, therefore, as shown in Figure 4, to provide wooden blocks which may be readily inserted after the baking process and which tie constructed in accordance with this in vention may be most readily handled and the rail may be most readily secured thereto.

It is further to be noted that if the rail road tie should wear adjacent the rails, it is merely necessary to prop the rails upwardly a slight distance from the tie and pour-fresh cement beneath the rails. This fresh cement will soon harden and combine with the concrete tie or baked clay tie and thus furnish a. fresh and properly positioned bearing surface for the rails'in place of the worn surface. V

7 Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be'variously embodied and is, therefore, to be limited only as claimed. 7 V V It sometimes happens that the ballast and cross tie are frozen and are practically immovable. V necessary to adjust the height of the rail, the spikes are withdrawn and shims placed under the rail to hold it at the exact height desired. Thereafter, the spikes are redriven and the rail is consequently secure in its correct position without the necessity @of loosening the concrete tie from the frozen.

ballast. In concrete cross ties, as heretofore constructed, this has been impossible and the consequence was that adjustment of the rails had to be done when the cross ties could be loosened.

Although the cross tie is adequately rein- Under these conditions if it is forced with metallic members, nevertheless, it is admirably adapted for-use on railroads where electrical circuits are employed which include the tracks as the spikes are insulated by the plug which receives them.

I claim: 1. A railroad tie comprising a moulded body portion, a closed band located within, and completely covered by said body portion and having parallel, spaced side walls,

a plurality of transverse members connecting said side walls, said body portion hav-- ing openings therethrough, and wooden blocks located within said openings and adapted to receive spikes.

'2. A railroad tie comprising a moulded body portion, a closed band located within, and completely covered by said'body portion and having parallel, spaced side walls, a plurality of transverse members connecting said side walls, said body portion hav ing openings therethrough adjacent certain of said transverse members, and wooden blocks located within 'saidopenings and adapted to receive spikes.

3. A railroad tie comprising a moulded body portion, a closed metal band embedded within said body portion and completely covered thereby and having parallel side walls, a plurality of spaced transverse bars joining saidside walls, said body portion having openings therethrough' adjacent said bars, and a plurality of wooden blocks located within said openings and contact ing with said bars, said blocks being adapted to have spikes driven therein.

4. A railroad tie comprising a moulded body portion, a closed metal band embedded within said body portion and completely covered thereby, said band having end portions and parallel side portions and conforming approximately to the outline of the tie, a plurality of spaced transverse bars joining the side portions of said band, said body portion having openings therethrough adjacent said bars, a plurality of wooden blocks *located within said openings, and transverse rods joining the side walls of said band and located between said bars.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Waukesha, in the, county of Waukesha and State of Wisconsin. 7

FRANK R. ZINKE; 

